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Top 5 Nerdist Podcasts of 2011: No. 1, Science!

It should not be all that surprising that when I asked our readers at Nerdist.com for their favorite Nerdist Podcasts of 2011, the episode getting the most mentions featured a real-life astrophysicist. You’d expect anything less?

Neil deGrasse Tyson is the Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium at the Rose Center for Earth and Space at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, as well as a Research Associate in the museum’s Department of Astrophysics. So he’s smart. He’s also funny, engaging, and fascinating, so much so that you may have seen him on The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, NOVA specials and The Big Bang Theory, among other television appearances. Or perhaps you’ve encountered his own podcast, “Star Talk Radio,” on which Chris and Matt Mira (Jonah Ray wasn’t able to be there that week) guested immediately after getting Dr. Tyson on the Nerdist Podcast. He’s a best-selling author, he’s been on Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential Persons in the World” list, and he was the honored guest on the Nerdist Podcast that Nerdist.com readers chose as their favorite of 2011.

Some sample listener comments:

“It had to have been the most interesting podcast I have heard this year.” — Supachim

“…There was actual science and true nerdy-ness all over this episode! What a great guest!” — Ben Eslinger

“I had no idea who Mr. Tyson was before. Listening to the show made me realize how little I know and how curious I am about space and physics and pretty much everything! It was a very insightful, yet irreverent episode.” — Virginia

“This guy is just that amazing. Scientist, wise and VERY funny. This guy is a legend.” — Vincent S.

“Just made me love the guy even more. A geek, a scientist and an educator who very much loves what he¹s doing even as he’s made his geekery work for him.” — Mike Hollihan

“…Such a brilliant, funny man. So full of nerdy goodness.” — Sarah

“Not only because I loved it, but I made at least 15 other people listen to it. Also the whole bit about superman was just incredible.” — Kait R

And there it is, the Number One Nerdist Podcast of 2011, Episode 139: Neil deGrasse Tyson, one of the smartest people you’ll ever encounter. What else were you expecting from something called Nerdist?

But Nerdist is about much more than science (come to think of it, so is Dr. Tyson). It’s all about pop culture, comedy, tech, music…anything that appeals to the creative-obsessive in all of us. Embrace it and join us at Nerdist.com, and don’t forget to watch the BBC America special on Saturday night at 9/8c.

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America’s British population has taken to the web to voice its displeasure at news that U.S. candy giant Hershey has successfully blocked our much loved U.K.-produced chocolate from being exported to the land of the free.